#1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Cornwell returns with the remarkable twenty-fourth thriller in her popular high-stakes series starring medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta.In the quiet of twilight, on an early autumn day, twenty-six-year-old Elisa Vandersteel is killed while riding her bicycle along the Charles River. It appears she was struck by lightning—except the weather is … the weather is perfectly clear with not a cloud in sight. Dr. Kay Scarpetta, the Cambridge Forensic Center’s director and chief, decides at the scene that this is no accidental Act of God.
Her investigation becomes complicated when she begins receiving a flurry of bizarre poems from an anonymous cyberbully who calls himself Tailend Charlie. Though subsequent lab results support Scarpetta’s conclusions, the threatening messages don’t stop. When the tenth poem arrives exactly twenty-four hours after Elisa’s death, Scarpetta begins to suspect the harasser is involved, and sounds the alarm to her investigative partner Pete Marino and her husband, FBI analyst Benton Wesley.
She also enlists the help of her niece, Lucy. But to Scarpetta’s surprise, tracking the slippery Tailend Charlie is nearly impossible, even for someone as brilliant as her niece. Also, Lucy can’t explain how this anonymous nemesis could have access to private information. To make matters worse, a venomous media is whipping the public into a frenzy, questioning the seasoned forensics chief’s judgment and “a quack cause of death on a par with spontaneous combustion.”
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Chaos is the 24th book in the ‘Kay Scarpetta’ thriller and suspense series focusing on a medical examiner’s investigations. It is currently the last book Patricia Cornwell has written in this series as of 2016 as well as serves as the third issue in an arc about serial killer Carrie Grethen.
The novel is a slower read than usual. We spend a lot of time in Kay’s head worrying about things that we don’t know a lot about yet. For the most part, the book takes place in just a few days. Several odd deaths occur, and little by little, Kay, Marino, Benton, and Lucy connect them together with the help of various staff. It seems like Carrie Grethen has found another accomplice, and she’s sought revenge on Kay. Unfortunately, someone close to Kay pays the price in this installment. We also end the books with an incredibly concerning secret reveal about a new character who was introduced a couple of books ago. What drama!
As a three-book arc, it was definitely interesting to see the progression of the serial killer’s mind. I almost wish we had chapters from Carrie’s perspective, so that we fully appreciated her psychotic need to get revenge. That’s my biggest concern in this series right now… if an author wants to build up a huge nut as the crazy killer, we need to know why not just through other people’s views, but through the killer’s mind, too. We get that only if they provide messages in writing, make phone calls, or interact in scenes with dialog. That hasn’t much happened in this arc, so I struggled to really understand ‘why’ it was so important to hurt Kay.
As a standalone book, other than being a little too slow of a read, it was fascinating to learn all about the technology and weapons being used. It’s probably one or two levels above my knowledge base and capability of understanding the detail, but not so much I felt removed. It clicked, but I found myself skimming on occasion when we got into paragraphs about exactly how it came to be in the hands of the serial killer. The best aspects were seeing Kay’s connections with Marino and her staff. She shines with them. Not with Benton. He’s a bit too boring for her. And Lucy has been too far removed for a boatload of books, so I’ve kinda lost any interest in her. The new girlfriend and son angle is interesting, but I wish we’d met them sooner.
That said, it’s a fine ending for the arc. I’m left wondering where the books go next… she’s due for one this year, but I can’t find anything about it. I’ll get it when it comes out… this installment was a 3.5 for me.
I have been a huge fan of Patricia Cornwall and have read all of her books. To me, her earlier books were so thrilling and just kept me on the edge of my seat. Her last couple of books were almost boring. At one time I couldn’t wait for her next book but of late, I’ve had a hard time trying to stay interested.
I love her style of writing and have read all her books both fiction and non-fiction. I think she is a gifted writer and love the evolution of her characters over the years. Always anxious to get her newest book. Fantastic read.
Im sorry I used to like reading this series but lately there is so much in the book retelling you everything that happened in the last 20 books that you dont get much plot on this book. Im pretty tired of Carrie saga and how cold and unfeeling Benton is combined with Lucy always keeping secrets. not really a good plot going on. Not planning on buying again unless Kay gets involved in something new. I liked this character and her cooking on the side but these last few books in the series make her so boring and bitter now
Just finished Chaos and would recommend it or any of the Scarlett’s novels written by Ms Cornwell. Always an enjoyable read of well written, tightly plotted stories.
I normally love Patricia Cornwell books about Dr. Kay Scarpetta but this one is a huge let down. Kay and Benton are about to eat at the Harvard Club when both their phones ring. They don’t get a chance to say anything to each other but as Kay says “I am married to Benton not the FBI” so there is never much he can tell her. When she gets to her crime scene it is on one of the footpaths in the park around Harvid and MIT. At least it is dark because anyone could look out of a dorm window or a window of any of the builfpdings around it. It took until about 3/4 into the book before she could start processing the scene. In-between while she waits, Lucy show up and she talks to her. Marino is the Detective and she talks to him a lot. I guess maybe the last 20-30 pages were good. I am glad that I got it from the library and didn’t pay for it. Ms. Cornwell needs to decide if she is going to work on the two other book series and just stop writing Scarpetta books, or make them as good as the majority of others were. I won’t be buying anymore, I will only get from the library. I would hate to think this was the last book from what had at one time been a great series
I love Patricia Cornwell. Great plot.
I quit reading Patricia Cornwell awhile ago. The books didn’t seem to have the same gut clenching intensity as her earlier books. I did pick Chaos to see if she had turned the books around but they still seem to revolve around ‘Carrie’! Not her best…
Patricia Cornwell brings up an interesting topic with the use of drones. Very interesting in diabolical use in this book! I’ve read some of her other books so it is nice to read a book that I already ‘know’ the characters in. But, a reader doesn’t have to have read any of her prior books in order to read this because enough backkgound information is given throughout the book. I gave it four stars instead of five because I felt as if it dragged a little too long before getting to the end of the ‘chase’ at the end of the book. Very interesting twist at the end.
This is the latest Kay Scarpetta story. In this book, Kay is living in Boston with her husband, Benton, and is still working as a medical examiner. She is getting ready for a visit from her sister, Dorothy, and dreading spending time with a person who has not had much time for her in the past. She is out to dinner with her husband when she learns that a dead body has been found in a near by park by two 14 year old twin girls. Unsure if it is an accident or foul play, Kay is called to the scene to uncover what happened. She and her long time friend and police confidant, Pete Marino, secure the scene and try to piece together what happened to this young girl who seems to have hit a light pole with her bike and died.
Meanwhile, her husband and Marino received suspicious fake phone calls from Interpool about the case. These calls don’t make sense, and soon Kay, Marino and Benton realize they are dealing with foul play. And they think it is from someone who has caused them harm in the past.
I was very disappointed in this book. As a long time Patricia Cornwell and Kay Scarpetta fan, I am always excited when a new novel comes out. I should have read the Amazon reviews and avoided this one. For the last several books Cornwell has written about Kay Scarpetta, I have become increasingly weary. Patricia writes her characters so rich and so fantastical these days, they it just makes me roll my eyes and hate the characters. Half of it isn’t even realistic. Kay has everything at her disposal – you name it, she can get it. Her niece, Lucy, is a super genius who owns several cars, planes, helicopters…..who cares! Patricia spends more time writing about the names of their cars and suped up vehicles more than the case itself. IT took almost 200 pages before she even got to the crime. Kay Scarpetta has become so self absorbed and arrogant, I just couldn’t stand her by the end of this book.
I am sad that this book was such a disappointment. I think I am done with this series. Cornwell WAS an excellent writer – back at the beginning of this series.
Anything by Patricia Cornwell is always a good read!
Good but not as good as previous books
I love all of her books and would give most a 5, but this one was different. Not such a page turner like her earlier ones.
Love her work but this was too repetitive with the information.
Slow moving and it hashed over her past stories.
I used to be a serious fan of Patricia Cornwell, but this one threw me off. I haven’t read many recently, but I found that her style seems to have changed and has made it more difficult to get into.
Unable to finish this book. Could not hold my interest. I have thoroughly enjoyed everything that I have read by Patricia Cornwell but almost from the outset something seemed to be missing. Made it to about the halfway point and just gave up. No use in beating a dead horse.
Another Cornwell book that takes place in one day. I miss Kay cooking in her kitchen. I miss her “other” life. Her thoughts go on and on with too much repetition. I have read all her books and have enjoyed them but the one day books are getting old. I wish she would write more about Lucy.
Never a miss with a book by Cornwell
If you like mystery and mayhem, then this book fits the bill. Great story!